Picture this: your construction team has just finished building a new office complex, and move-in day is here. The owner and tenants are excited, but the HVAC system immediately disappoints: it doesn’t cool the building as expected. Or maybe the lights flicker every time someone uses the elevator. Instead of a smooth handover, you’re now dealing with a bunch of avoidable technical issues.
Construction commissioning is essentially a quality check. This process ensures that new construction, including the building and its systems, are performing correctly, based on the owner’s needs. It typically involves inspecting, starting up, and testing, for example, the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Are they working as intended according to the design? The goal is to catch any issues early, so everything runs smoothly and you don’t end up dealing with callbacks or warranty problems later on.
Let's take a more detailed look at the commissioning process, its benefits, and some best practices.
Understanding Construction Commissioning
Commissioning, or Cx for short, is all about making sure a building’s core systems — like life safety (fire alarms and sprinklers), mechanical, electrical, and plumbing — are working the way the owner and design team intended. This quality assurance process kicks off during the design and preconstruction phases and continues until the owner actually moves in. Tasks may include checking for the correct installment of system components, starting up the equipment, measuring air or water flow and temperature, and providing all the necessary performance documentation.
Types of commissioning
While "commissioning" typically refers to the process for new buildings, "retro-commissioning" is the similar term for existing construction that missed this level of vigilance the first time around, used within remodel or renovation projects. Additional systems, like the building envelope or an industrial process, may be commissioned simultaneously. Then there’s "recommissioning," conducted a few years post-build, to ensure that everything’s still working properly. Over a building’s life cycle, it might undergo commissioning multiple times.
Team roles
You will find that most members of your project team support some aspect of commissioning:
- The commissioning agent oversees the commissioning process and provides the required testing and documentation. This third-party consultant is usually hired by the owner to act as their advocate.
- The project owner delivers their expectations for the project’s performance, and informs design decisions and potential changes.
- The owner’s facilities and operations teams contribute by testing the new systems and equipment. Since they will be taking over the maintenance and operations of the systems, it’s a good time for training and observation.
- The project general contractor is responsible for properly communicating challenges and managing their resolution.
- Trade contractors, such as fire sprinkler, HVAC, or plumbing professionals, are present during testing. They are responsible for making any corrections or changes as directed by the general contractor.
- Architects and engineers must include commissioning in their project documents and may be asked to address potential issues through design changes.
The Commissioning Process
The construction commissioning process begins in the early design stage and continues through owner occupancy, along these general stages.
Planning and documentation
The commissioning agent starts by studying the design plans in light of the owner’s project requirements, then creates specific installation and performance guidelines for each system or piece of equipment. Ideally, these form a working checklist used to track progress and flag any potential issues. The agent will also put together a comprehensive commissioning plan, outlining the step-by-step rollout, documenting roles and responsibilities, and establishing communication protocols throughout the process.
Testing and verification
After installation and approval by the local jurisdiction, the commissioning agent tests each component or piece of equipment against the parameters developed during the planning phase, noting discrepancies and communicating them to the project team for correction. Resolution may involve a change to the design, or, if faulty installation or materials are to blame, the contractor may be required to fix the issue on their own dime.
Documentation and reporting
After all issues are resolved, the commissioning agent provides a final report to the project owner, confirming that every system and component has been tested and is working as planned.
Benefits of Effective Commissioning
Effective commissioning typically enhances energy efficiency by ensuring that all systems and equipment are performing at peak levels, reducing operational costs in the long run. It also promotes the correct installation and operation of systems, reducing warranty issues and callbacks.
Also, consulting a commissioning agent during the design phase provides an outside perspective on the building’s plans and documentation. This can reveal potential issues early on — when changes and redirects are less expensive.
Best Practices and Emerging Trends
These proven tips and tricks can help contractors improve their performance during a commissioning project.
Involve the commissioning agent early
Bring them on as soon as possible, to clarify the commissioning requirements avoid costly changes later on.
Continuous commissioning
The goal of continuous commissioning is ongoing improvement in a system's energy performance while tackling any maintenance or operational issues that could impact an occupant's comfort, create safety or health risks, or shorten the lifespan of equipment or systems.
Integration with project management processes
Early collaboration with the commissioning agent speeds things up and ensures any issues are caught early. Plus, it’s important to include commissioning activities in the project schedule and budget.
Streamlining Project Handover
With commissioning, owners can be sure that they’re getting what they paid for: a functional building that is comfortable and healthy for occupants. By providing oversight during the design and construction phases, commissioning agents are able to help project teams deliver better quality projects, cutting down on the need for contractor callbacks and warranty issues. Ongoing commissioning adds additional value by ensuring that the systems and equipment continue to operate at peak efficiency, over time and in response to any change in the building's use.
With any project calling for changes to the major building systems, construction commissioning can be a real game-changer. It’s definitely worth considering for your next construction or renovation contract.
